Norvic Philatelics - GB New
Stamps and Special Postmarks

The
Royal Mail is issuing a set of stamps, miniature sheet and prestige
stamp book to commemorate the 50th Anniversary
of WWF. Forests are the Post Europ theme for 2011 so the WWF
Miniature Sheet depicts the Amazon Rainforest where the WWF are
involved in a number of projects to protect and conserve the forest and
its plants and animals. The 1st Class stamp will bear the Post Europ
logo in addition to the WWF logo.

The plants in detail

African
Elephant - Elephants
continue to face serious threats across their range. Although poaching
of elephants for their ivory has declined since the 1989 worldwide
ivory ban, a more long-term threat, is the reduction of habitat in the
face of expanding human populations.

Mountain
Gorilla - The mountain
gorilla became known to science in 1902. Since then, they have endured
uncontrolled hunting, war, disease, habitat destruction, and capture
for the illegal pet trade.

Siberian
Tiger - The Amur or Siberian
tiger is the largest sub-species of tiger and is primarily found in
south-eastern Russia and northern China. In the 1960s it was close to
extinction but its numbers recovered to around 450 today.

Polar
Bear - With 20-25,000 polar
bears living in the wild, the species is not currently endangered, but
its future is far from certain. If current warming trends continue,
scientists believe that polar bears will be vulnerable to extinction
within the next century.

Amur
Leopard - Due to extensive
habitat loss and conflict with humans, the Amur leopard’s
situation is critical. However, the fact that the Amur tiger recovered
from a precarious state of less than 40 individuals some 60-70 years
ago gives conservationists hope.

Iberian
Lynx - The Iberian lynx is
classified as the world’s most endangered cat. Habitat loss
and degradation are contributing to this decline. Today, there are no
more than 38 breeding females in the wild.

Red
Panda - The word panda comes
from the Nepalese “poonya” which means bamboo
eater. The red panda is known as the red cat bear or lesser panda.
While it may be “lesser” in size than the giant
panda, both species are threatened by less habitat and deforestation.

Black
Rhinoceros - Relentless
poaching, has seen the number of black rhino decline. Pressure
escalated during the 1970s and 1980s because of rising demand for rhino
horn in Asia and the Middle East and between 1970 and 1992, the black
rhino suffered a 96% decline in numbers.

African
Wild Dog - African wild dogs
are the size of medium domestic dogs and their coats are mottled in
shades of brown, black and beige. They have large, rounded ears and
dark brown circles around their eyes. One of Africa’s most
endangered carnivores it is Red listed as an endangered species.

Golden
Lion Tamarin - The golden
lion tamarin is listed as endangered by the IUCN. Only about 800 are
left in the wild. The primary threats to this species’
survival are continued loss of forest habitat and population
fragmentation due to agriculture and urban development

Miniature
sheet
(face
values subject to change):1st
Class –
Spider Monkey - Spider
monkeys are one of the largest primates in South America. Their
prehensile tail allows them to find stability when sitting on branches
and to reach out for food at the tip of fragile branches by suspending
themselves with it.

60p – Hyacinth
Macaw - In the 1980s an
estimated 10,000 hyacinth macaws were illegally captured and sold as
pets, while, the species’ natural habitat was being destroyed
by deforestation. Local Indians also killed them to use the feathers to
make tourist souvenirs.

88p – Poison
Dart Frog - With its
striking appearance and unique features, the poison dart frog is one of
the most interesting and dangerous – Amazon species. The
poison dart frog uses its brightly coloured skin to warn predators that
it is “unfit to eat.” The skin secretes a dangerous
poison that can paralyze and in some cases kill predators.

97p – Jaguar - Jaguars
are the largest American cats and strong swimmers and climbers. They
weigh over 300 pounds and grow to more than eight feet in length,
including a two-foot tail. Although legally protected, hunting and
habitat loss continue to be threats.

Prestige
stamp book.
Details are awaited - as usual this will contain "four stamp panes
unavailable elsewhere" according to Royal Mail. We predict
this will be a pane of 4 animals, a pane of 6 animals, the miniature
sheet (on a larger page) and a pane of 8 Machin definitives of various
values, surrounding a label which will almost certainly be illustrated
with the WWF Panda logo. And our predictions are right -
well, what else could it be? These
may not be final
images,
and have been slightly digitally modified.
According to this
we have a Machin pane with 3 x 5p, 3 x 10p, one at 67p and one at 97p.
The last two won't be relevant after postage rates go up a
week or so later, but then if new values were included they wouldn't be
relevant when issued.

Technical
details:The 35mm square
stamps
are designed by Rose Design Consultants
using photograph selected in collaboration with WWF. In
sheets of 25/50 they are printed in lithography, with all-ove
phosphor by Cartor
Security Printing, perf 14˝. The set of 10 stamps is printed
in two
separate sheets enabling multiples of individual stamps to be ordered
from Royal Mail.

The miniature sheet
was designed by Janice Nicholson.
The 115 x 89mm sheet contains stamps 41x30 mm and is printed
in litho by Cartor SP, perforated 14˝ x 14.
The stamp and postmark images
are reproduced with permission: Copyright 2011 by Royal Mail.